


Darkness Awoken

by FrostCryptid



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: AUTHOR AU, Alan Wake AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Based on a video game, M/M, Past Alana Bloom/Hannibal Lecter, dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 01:24:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15328641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrostCryptid/pseuds/FrostCryptid
Summary: Will plans a vacation with his wife, Molly, to Bright Falls. It seems like any normal little town holding a small annual festival and they even enjoy themselves for an hour or so until Molly leaves Will to pick up their cabin key. That's when Will knew he should have heeded the red flags blaring in his mind. Instead, he walked away with his and the whole town's fate in his hand.





	Darkness Awoken

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is an AU based off the video game Alan Wake that I love and adore. The game is very long and me having little motivation recently, this will take a while to update. Just wanted to give y'all a heads up before I shared this because this thing is a fucking beast. Thank you to those who encouraged this, I will forever be grateful <3

_Stephen King once wrote that, “Nightmares exist outside of logic, and there’s little fun to be had in explanations; they’re antithetical to the poetry of fear.” In a horror story, the victim keeps asking “why?” But there can be no explanation, and there shouldn’t be one. The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it’s what we’ll remember in the end._

_My name is Will Graham. I’m a writer._

_**Darkness Awoken** _

I’ve always had a vivid imagination and superior empathy, but this nightmare unsettled me. It was wild and dark and weird even by my standards. Cliche as it is, everything began with a dream.

The pattern for my nightmare followed the usual, I was feeling a sense of desperation to get where I absolutely needed to go. A lighthouse of all things. I’d been driving too fast down a coastal road to get there. Going through a tunnel the headlights didn’t pick up on anything until it was too late, I’d hit a hitchhiker. I immediately got out of the car hoping - praying - he was just knocked unconscious. My hand reached out, checking for a pulse. It didn’t matter though, he was dead.

My only thoughts were of Molly, never seeing her again as I sat rotting in a jail cell somewhere. Some might argue I would deserve it, or at least a hospital to help the insane.

Suddenly, the headlights from the car shut off. The event startled me into eyeing the car before shaking my head and looked back to the dead hitchhiker. I backed away, terrified to find the man was no longer on the ground; or anywhere for that matter.

It could have been from the shock of the crash or exhaustion from staying on my feet that caused my mind to think whatever transpired didn’t happen. I knew better though.

After the crash, the car no longer would turn on so I had to go on foot the rest of the way. The bridge was also out, but a path to the side of it would help me get to the lighthouse no matter what, something important was waiting for me there. On my way over to the path, I saw a missing persons poster and found my own eyes staring back at me from the flimsy paper. My mouth went dry, not being able to comprehend myself missing. I was too famous, too well known for anyone to take.

That mattered little when I turned back to find the hitchhiker where I’d hit him with the car. Panic filled my chest as I knew I’d checked he died. No pulse or heartbeat came from him before. The darkness around us had to have done something to him, to distort his features. Leaving him billowing in the wind, sure to be swept away by it. My mind raced as in the next moment the man was standing in front of me with an ax held tightly in his grip.

“You don’t even recognize me, do you, writer? You think playing God and killing people when it suits you makes you one of the elite? I’ll make you suffer like those people did! You can’t do anything about it because _you_ are part of the story now!”

I ran from him, leaving him to hack and swing at the board advertising my latest Jack Crawford book, _‘The Sudden Stop’_. He kept shouting but I ignored him as I ran, not wanting to be hit by his rage. I’ve read somewhere if someone dies in a dream they die in real life. I couldn’t die here, I had to get to the lighthouse. I jumped off some broken stairs until I ran into the hitchhiker again. Without any sort of weapon I dodged him as much as I could. He disappeared again as the gate opened in front of me.

The hitchhiker was someone from one of the stories I’d been working on. He was never this violent or even had an ax. How could he be here, let alone a villian getting in my way? The answer had been simple.

The darkness took him.

“Dying by your own creation won’t be a good way to go! It’ll so satisfying for me though!”

I ran for my life as the hitchhiker turned into a hurricane, destroying everything in its path and taking larger objects for amusement. Showing off the power it had to entice me to die without being chased. I refused to go down so easily.

“This way! Hurry up, come on!” My head shot up, meeting the eyes of another man. I knew immediately he was himself, not one ounce of darkness on him. Seeing enough hope that came from this mysterious man gave me courage to run across the long bridge hanging over what seemed like a bottomless canyon. Once I was safely across, the hurricane obliterated it, maybe hoping it would get me before I got the whole way across. Only when I caught my breath did I see the cabin. “Mr. Graham, it’s me, Jeremy Wells, remember? What am I doing? That doesn’t matter right now, please get inside quickly!”

Before Jeremy could follow me, the door shut. I turned, slamming my whole body into the door trying to force it open. It didn’t help anything. I could only watch helplessly as Jeremy shot into the billowy figure, which did nothing to slow or stop the hitchhiker bound and determined to kill me. A full force swing of the ax ended the life of the man I’d very briefly known then another, just to be sure Jeremy was dead. The next second came and went before the hitchhiker’s head shot up, meeting my eyes. I darted back, away from the windows to avoid the man seeing me once more. I had to get out, away from the madman.

The television sets all turned on at the same time without warning. Showing eyes and yelling ‘die’ over and over again until they all started laughing. It was maniacal and something I never wanted to hear again. I tried the back door before the cabin shook, feeling like the ‘Wizard of Oz’ and how Dorothy was trapped in her own home in the middle of a twister. At least the laughter had stopped but the cabin shook again and I was hit with something. The dark making it hard to see. I knew I was on the floor, feeling like Death would take me any moment now.

The back door flew open and light, glorious light, filtered in. I had difficulty trying to get back on my feet, a wall being my crutch until I felt steady enough to start walking. It was until I fell again that it seemed like I was done for, the light still comforting in its own right.

“The light can help you, please step into it when you can. I’ve chased the darkness away for now so you’ll be safe for a time.” A woman’s voice spoke around me. She was the light bathing me, protecting me while I tried standing again. Frustration filled me as it took a while before I was able to move again. I limped forward until I was bathed in another light, this one helping me focus more and healing me.

This woman decided to defy the darkness and aid me in getting to the lighthouse. Two questions raced through my mind as I thought of her voice again. Why did she want to help me and who in the world was she? No answer immediately came to my mind but I knew she would have the answers I sought. I knew I would have to wait for those answers as she seemed pressed for time. That I understood. The darkness had been chased away as I healed and tried to make sense of everything but it would return no matter what. I would be ready for it when it came again. I could feel it.

“You need to know what exactly is happening. I will be able to tell you and help you only in flashes and a hand full of moments. So when I speak, you need to listen.” She already had my attention before but with how much tension layered her voice, I could tell there would be certain things she would tell me now. the rest would come later. “For he did not know, that beyond the lake he called home, lies a deeper, darker ocean green, where waves are both wilder and more serene. To its ports I’ve been. To its ports I’ve been. Do you understand?’

The words washed over me as I tried to puzzle them out. Maybe I would think on them later, if I remembered this dream after I woke up. It seemed likely I would considering how weird and odd it was turning out to be. Especially now that this woman I don’t know was in it.

“I can see the words are a bit confusing. Please, follow my light.” The light left me in a softer glow but the more vibrant part of the light moved over the broken stairs just ahead of me, fixing them in a blink of an eye. Here I would say like magic but I know there is fine line between magic and realism. I, myself, am a skeptic at heart but some of the things I’ve seen recently had me questioning a big part of that. “I entered your dream to teach you, prepare you for what is coming. The darkness, as you’ve seen for yourself, is dangerous. When it feels you coming, it will wake up. One thing I can show you is the most important and will help you on your journey.”

The words made me curious but I would wait for the woman to divulge more information to me. She was helping me as much as she could after all. It was only fair I give her however much of my time she needed to help me understand what I was up against and what was happening.

“Your hitchhiker has been taken over by the Dark Presence.” I could tell the name was more of a title than what it was. Another question added on to the pile that was building in my mind palace. “The darkness protects him from all harm no matter what you tried. Light and only light can drive the darkness away to shed his veil.” The light provided a flashlight. I knew exactly what needed to be done and quickly grabbed what was offered, shining the beam in the face of the hitchhiker. “Good, he is vulnerable now without the darkness. He can’t be saved. The darkness is still inside him even with its protection gone. Save him the only way you can.” A gun came out of the same light.

I hesitated in picking up the gun. I’d never killed before. In my books, yes. Never in real life. It was different. I would regret it in every way, shape, and form. My hands remained at my sides as I fought with myself to pick it up. I knew I needed to but I couldn’t. I couldn’t.

“I know it is not an easy choice. Bare in mind that no one is safe so long as there is one person taken over by the Dark Presence in the real world. You can fight it for as long as you can but it will do nothing. All it will lead to is more darkness and heartache. If you know what’s good for yourself, please take the gun. I cannot make the choice for you.” The voice sounded as if it was begging but remained at a levelled tone. A moment of clarity provided me insight of the woman’s frustration with me. It was a big choice to take the life of another person even if they did lose themself to the darkness.

I took a breath and grabbed the gun, shooting quickly and as accurately as I could. Three shots did it. The hitchhiker was gone. I hoped for the last time.

“Now that you know how to fight the darkness, I will give you back your dream. Know giving you the gun and watching you was hard but I know it was harder still for you to do it.” The light was gone along with the woman. Alone again helped me think over what just happened. I fell to my hands and knees, throwing up whatever was in my stomach.

I breathed deeply before pressing on. Wanting to forget this ever happened.

My nightmare continued. The darkness taking over the world and the lighthouse being one of the last safe havens I could go to.

The hitchhiker appeared in front of me and without thinking, I did the same as before. Shined the beam from the flashlight in his face and shot. I lost count how many bullets I used, but he was gone when next I looked.

I fell down on some wooden planks which I knew to be safe. A light ahead would help chase off the impending darkness for a moment. The lighthouse loomed as I got closer and closer. I couldn’t wait to get there, hoping when I did the nightmare would be over. I opened a red box connected to the light pole and found a flare gun with some ammo. It made me think there would be more than just my hitchhiker waiting for me. If these helped as much as I think they would though, it’d be worth it.

When I left the light, three people with darkness came out from behind the trees. I armed myself with the flare gun and shot, obliterating them all. I still felt guilty killing them but it felt righteous and just. I was protecting others from doing this. From killing their friends and loved ones. No one would know and that was fine. As long as I could keep the darkness away, it felt like it could be worth it in the end.

I found myself on the street leading up to the lighthouse. Finally. I felt relief rush through me as I walked towards it, only to hear something behind me. At the end of the road, a hurricane formed. I didn’t stick around to listen what the hitchhiker had to say now. My thoughts were filled of getting to the lighthouse, being safe. I was so close as things flew past me and the bridge to the lighthouse was collapsing. I became terrified I wouldn’t make it and the darkness would take me. Making me into one of its slaves.

At the last second I made it into the lighthouse. The hurricane still coming after me even though I went inside. I waited with baited breath as the darkness pounded on the door only for it to vanish as the light bathed the hurricane. I ran my hand through my curls with relieved laughter. I couldn’t believe I made it with the odds I was up against. After what felt like eternity, I moved away from the wall to the beginning of the staircase leading up.

The light suddenly went out and my heart filled with fear. The darkness hadn’t been defeated. It only wanted me to think it was so I would be exactly where it could get me. It darted from the broken light down the middle of the staircase, layering itself over me.

A gravelly voice sounded from the darkness that surrounded me.

“He’s here.”

~~~~

Will darted forward in the passenger seat, afraid beyond all logic the dream came true. That he had been taken by the darkness. His Molly, his sweet Molly was beside him, prepared to calm him as he came out of his nightmare. She knew the signs. They’d been married long enough for her to know what was a good night compared to his night terrors. This was one of the worst night terrors he’d had. Those words were putting it mildly. One of the last safe havens left, the lighthouse, had been taken over.

“Shh, baby. It was just another nightmare. No one would dare try getting to you without getting through me.” Molly putting it that way made Will almost panic but he held himself in check, not wanting to worry Molly that something happened. Something so vivid which had him feeling as if he was quaking in his boots. His hands squeezed hers as gently as he could manage. Nothing could convince him he was still in his dream. The sunlight shined and Molly was by his side, fully convincing him of his wife’s words. “Come on, let’s get you some fresh air, yeah?”

Will knew her to be right but the feeling of darkness lingered in the back of his mind. It stayed like Molly did. Flickers came and went while he was in his dream and even when out of it, they were there. Normal wasn’t something he claimed to be, nor was it familiar to him. The darkness though, he likened it to his dream; wild and odd and weird. He did what any good husband would do though and pushed it aside. Molly and Will came to Bright Falls for a vacation, not for him to stay in his head. Molly called it a mind palace for everything Will could remember. Their annual argument on their anniversary was what they both wore on the first day they met.

“Honey, look!” Molly pulled him from his thoughts as she pointed at the town’s name on the bridge. She snaps a few photos and the sight pulls a smile from him. Will wrapped his arms around her from behind. Molly must have been expecting it before she showed him what she took. They were both artists. Will of words and Molly of pictures. The two of them made quite a pair and she even made all of his book covers for him. Some of the things she saw previously made her convince him to let her take care of it all; and she did. “I can’t wait to see the rest of the town. We’re going to have such a good time, I just know it!”

“Looks like Bright Falls is already a hit for you.” Will chuckled, tucking his face next to Molly’s. “I can’t wait until we can relax and just spend some time together without obligations tearing us in opposite ways.” Her smile was contagious as it made his own bigger. He normally stayed serious, choosing certain moments to divulge in any emotion other than melancholy. Writing and being married was harder than he expected but Molly helped when she could.

“Come on, I want a picture of you in front of the town. Why don’t you stand next to the woman over there? Looks like she could use some company.” Molly pulled away from Will not unkindly, just so he would do what she asked of him.

“That may require me to be sociable.” Will kissed his wife’s cheek before striking up a conversation with the woman Molly pointed out before. “Hi there.” Molly gave him a look that made him force himself to try harder. “Are you from Bright Falls?”

“Oh, yes. I’ve lived here my whole life it seems. Took over as radio host from my daddy when he died a few years ago and Mama left after she found out I was blind.” Will had nothing to say to that, knowing how it felt to take over a business until he found a love for writing. Something he wish he still had. The woman seemed to be listening for something, giving a smile when she heard or didn’t hear it. “Thank you.”

“Sorry?” The gratitude threw Will for a loop. He wasn’t sure why he was being thanked or for what.

“No pity or ‘I’m sorry’s. Being disabled or blind makes people give you that despite what you prefer. So thank you for that.” Her smile became radiant and Will couldn’t help but reply with one of his own. “Oh my, where are my manners. I’m Reba McClane and, as I said before, I’m the radio host of this small town. Are you here by yourself?”

“It’s fine. I’m Will Graham, my wife, Molly, is here with me. You don’t mind getting your picture taken?” No matter the situation Will always asked for consent even when people didn’t ask for it in return. It was an invasion of personal space and one he abhorred when it happened. A reason why he had punched Freddie Lounds in the face when her camera got too close. He never liked her or her articles anyway. All of it was gossip or her spouting just a glimmer of the truth. She went too far, more than other paparazzi did.

“The writer. I thought I recognized your voice. I don’t mind pictures at all, no. Would you mind doing an interview with me while you’re here? We could have people call in and ask questions or I could just ask about you and what you’re doing here visiting our little town.” Reba wasn’t insistent. She was asking in a way where Will wanted to say yes but he knew what the answer would should anyone ask a question like that. Maybe she even knew what he’d say, letting her listen to the silence once more. “Ah.”

“I promise it’s nothing against you. Only Molly and I are here for vacation. We really aren’t letting anyone do interviews or press. I would rather keep this a secret instead of it getting out where it could ruin our vacation.” Will felt bad for saying it but he felt like he owed her something for her kindness. His eyes caught Molly’s and she smiled, agreeing to whatever he would offer. “Afterwards though, it wouldn’t be bad. No one would expect I’m leaving when I give it and by the time anyone tries coming here, Bright Falls may have more publicity.”

“Delightful. That really means something, thank you. Just thank you, Will. When you feel up to it, I’ll be in the radio station across town during the nights. Find me there before you leave. Both you and Molly.” During the whole conversation, Will noticed Reba never let her smile fall completely. While he thought it was a little shocking in his presence, it was a nice change of pace.

“It really is no problem. Expect me by the end of next week.” A handshake sealed the deal and Will actually couldn’t wait to be interviewed. Wasn’t that something?

“Aw look, you made a friend.” Molly teased. She looked at her camera, most likely eyeing the shots she took while he was talking. “These are really good.” Her hands fiddled with her camera. “This will be a wonderful vacation. No dogs to worry about, Wally is with my parents, and no bills to pay.”

“You mean no responsibilities because I’m going to be the one taking care of you.” Molly squawked and argued about that point because how did Will know it wasn’t the other way around. He needed to learn to relax too. Will’s attention caught on to a strange man who observed Will. Reba moved over to him and Will could hear her telling him about someone agreeing to be on his show voluntarily. Will didn’t have a hard time telling the man wasn’t interested in the conversation so much as who he was watching. Not Will himself but Molly. Will’s grip tightened on Molly, suddenly fearful of stepping a foot off the ferry.

“Honey, come on! We have so much more to see!” For now Will would keep it to himself, he didn’t want to worry Molly while they were supposed to be on vacation. “Hey. You seem out of it. Want me to drive to the diner?” Will’s voice escaped him as he nodded. That wouldn’t be a bad idea now that he realized just how tired he was even with his nap before. Though nightmares or night terrors usually took a lot out of him. When they came, his mind refused to give him a night of decent sleep after he woke up from one. Instead of sleeping, he’d wander away from a sleeping Molly to fix himself a cup of coffee and spend the rest of the night or morning, depending on what time it was, on the couch watching old movie reruns. If he felt bold enough, he’d call his dad and leave him a message talking about his day or Molly.

“Feel free to drop me off at the diner while you grab gas. We’ll need to make sure we have enough for the ride.” Molly smiled with a nod. Elliot Buddish had told them over an earlier phone call to meet him at the diner for keys on where they’d be staying. It would be a good for them to kill two birds with one stone. In fact, doing so could make it quicker for them to finally start their vacation and relax. That is what Will wanted more than anything. No one to worry about other than themselves. Randy started missing them as soon as they left him at the kennel but they would give him a lot of ear scratches and belly rubs as an apology.

The couple arrived at the diner, finding it easy after asking the ferryman about it. He had no problem pointing the way and went as far as giving them directions to it. Molly kissed Will once he walked around the car to the driver’s side. They knew they would see each other in about twenty minutes or so, making the goodbyes just a little less meaningful. It didn’t mean either one of them liked being parted in an unfamiliar town though. Will walked opened the door to the diner after seeing Molly off. She was the light of his life and someone he truly loved with everything he had in him; his entire body, mind, soul, and heart. Sometimes it scared people with the ferocity of the love he held for her but he knew she loved him just as much if not more so.

“Oh my god. Will Graham? Holy shit, this is such an honor.” The waitress covered her mouth horrified. The swear having slipped out despite her being on the clock with customers all around her. “I’m so sorry, but Jesus Christ. It really is you. I’m one of your biggest fans.” Will couldn’t help but cringe before shoving his glasses on his face. The divider it created helped ease him into these sorts of confrontations with people like Abigail, or so it said on the young woman’s name tag.

“I’m glad to hear that, Abigail.” The writer ignored the small squeak following him saying her name. “I’m looking for Elliot Buddish. I was supposed to meet him here.” Will knew Abigail was a tad disappointed, he could feel it pouring off her. It wasn’t the first time he disappointed someone, especially a fan. They tried more than once to get more handsy with him than he would even let his own agent get, who stood in between Will and his too rowdy fans when it came to it. For that, Will was thankful to have Matthew as his agent.

“Oh! He just went to use the restroom. He’ll be back any minute. Can I get you anything while you wait?” No matter the hopefulness coming through her voice, Will shook his head. All he wanted was the keys to where he and Molly would be staying for the majority of their stay in Bright Falls. He rubbed his temple for a headache he felt coming on. Abigail set a small glass of water in front of him silently, which Will took with a small twitch of his lips.

The sip he just took was nearly spit out at the sight of the cardboard cut out of him posing with his last Jack Crawford book. How had he not seen the eyesore that it was sitting in the window? God, he suddenly needed something stronger than water or coffee. He promised Molly no alcohol without her present as he could get a little out of hand at times. Will wanted to know at the same time of not wanting to know. Turning his back to it, he pretended it wasn’t there at all.

“You sure you don’t want a coffee? Abigail will make one strong enough that you’ll stay awake for a week.” Will was pulled from his thoughts to the man at the counter. Abigail rolled her eyes as she refilled the man’s cup. “Anthony Dimmond, the park ranger for Bright Falls National Park. You should swing by when you can, it’s gorgeous out there.” Will thought about the suggestion and would mention it to Molly on the way to where they were staying. “Maybe stick around for Deer Fest? It’s in two weeks now and it’s always a hit for us.”

“I’ll discuss it with my wife, she wouldn’t mind getting more pictures and putting together an article based on our stay here.” He was done waiting around and starting to get impatient about the keys he needed. “You said Elliot was in the restroom?” Abigail nodded and Will finished off his glass of water before putting it on the counter. She warned him about Margot, the woman standing before the hallway leading to the restrooms. Walking around Anthony, he started making his way to the restrooms. Two old men stopped him from where he was going. This sort of this was becoming tiring but by now, he was used to it.

“Hello there, dear! I’m Jimmy and that lug there is Brian. Do a favor for me? Could you put a tune on? My leg’s fallen asleep and refuses to wake up.” Will gave the man with the eye patch an awkward smile nodding. “Coconut, number six on the jukebox.” Oh, he knew this song well. one of his father’s favorites if he was being honest.

“Are you serious? Coconut again? You disgust me.” The other man with the bandana on his head rolled his eyes, making Will think he was overdramatic constantly. “Call yourself a rocker, ha!” This was a teasing remark, one that most likely happened every time the two came to the Oh Deer Diner.

“Oh hush, darling. You should be used to it. Give it a good, solid whack to get it going!” The advice was useful considering the vinyl got stuck midway through being set to play. Will did as requested, hitting the jukebox as hard as he dared without breaking it. ‘Lime In the Coconut’ played over the speakers. It tugged at something inside Will. A memory forgotten years prior when he still travelled around with his daddy.

“That’s it, I’ve died and gone to hell.” Brian whined as Will supposed this wasn’t the first time the song played today. Maybe that was why Jimmy’s leg fell asleep before? Probably because the man got up too much to play the same song or it was stuck on repeat for a while. Brian winked at Will, proving him right and that the man didn’t mean a word of what he said. “It’s been good seeing you again, Alana!”

“Darling, do you need your eyes checked again? This one’s a male.” Jimmy defended Will with a light tone. His face had a fond smile shooting towards Brian. It seemed like the two could talk or fight about anything that caught their fancy. This time it was Will’s gender called into question but Will got it more than anyone may think. With his curls and stormy blues, especially if he decided to go for a clean shave. Molly had to do a double take once or twice the first few times he did it while they were dating and after they were married.

“How can you tell? It’s so hard telling people from one thing sometimes. Not that it’s a bad thing, Alana! Promise! Or it is Alan now?” Brian looked Will up and down with a critical eye, shaking his head. “This is hurting my head. Ugh.” He held his head in confusion but to also try blocking out the song his partner made Will play. A combination of both those things made him just want to sleep more than anything else.

“Have a good day you two!” Will chuckled to himself, trying to keep it quiet from the couple he left. A woman watched the darkened hall where the restrooms were located. She mumbled about calling the sheriff to have someone change the lightbulbs because there was no way she was going to. Not when the hall was that dark. The writer shuffled passed her, not wanting to interrupt her ramblings or bother her by bumping into her on accident.

“Wait! You need a light in the darkness!” The woman called to him but he didn’t heed her. Much later, when he knew more, he would wish he had done so. At the moment though, all he did was shake his head. This key was the only thing keeping him away from officially starting his vacation with Molly. “Be careful, young man!” Her final warning to him before he turned the corner and knocked on the men’s bathroom door.

“Elliot Buddish? Are you in there? We spoke on the phone earlier about my wife and I renting a cabin.” If Will would have been paying more attention, he would have sensed the man appearing behind him without a sound. All he wanted to do was get the key off Buddish and be on his way. If he knew this would be such a chore, he’d have made Molly get it and he would have went and got the gas. “My name is Will Graham, Mr. Buddish. Maybe that’ll help you remember me?”

“I’m afraid Mr. Buddish is a little indisposed right now but before he went in there, he told me to expect you.” The writer whirled around, finding a strange man there. “My name is Hannibal Lecter, Mr. Graham.” Maroon eyes stare at him and Will couldn’t help but find it unnerving. Whoever this Hannibal was felt sinister and otherworldly, something Will himself would usually brush off as a work of fiction. This was real life though. Margot’s warning came back to him and suddenly he wished he had a light.

“Hello, Mr. Lecter. Just Will is fine.” Another reason added to the list of get the key and get out. Hannibal gave him a mix of feeling that he’d rather not analyze right now. Especially not in front of the man in question. It would be very poor taste to do so as well as he didn’t want to lose himself. What a dangerous thing that could turn out to be. “You mentioned something about a key? Could I please have it?” Will refused to hold his hand out for it. While he did want to leave as soon as he could, doing that would be considered rude. Being rude was not what he wanted to be since Hannibal was kind enough to hold it for him.

“Doctor actually, but Hannibal would be quite alright, Will.” A barely there smile ghosted his face, making the corner of his eyes crinkle. Will tensed at the expression, not quite sure what it meant for him personally. Hannibal held out a few items for him to take. “Since you asked so nicely for what you want, I’ll grant it to you. The key and instructions on how to get to my cabin. I’ll come by sometime later with dinner to see how you’re settling in if you don’t mind.” It would have been nice but from driving to having Molly, he didn’t really feel up to socializing the rest of the day.

“Thank you for the offer, but I unfortunately have to decline. My wife and I would like to get settled in before we have any visitors. Would tomorrow afternoon work better?” Will should have kept Molly a secret by the strange look Hannibal had given him. Even with that, Hannibal still held out the key and instructions. He gently took them, not wanting to anger the person allowing he and Molly to stay in the cabin.

Hannibal was quick and kept a hold of Will’s left hand. He bent slightly as he lifted the hand up to kiss it, avoiding the wedding band resting on the ring finger. “My apologies. It was rude of me to invite myself over before you and your wife could settle in. Please, allow me to bring lunch for the three of us to enjoy.” Maroon stayed on Will’s hand, seemingly satisfied for one reason or another. It wasn’t anything Will was used to and, as soon as he could, took his hand back with a shaky smile. “Do you accept?”

“I do.” When he saw Hannibal’s grin, it worried him a lot. Did he just agree to something he’d later regret? Only time would tell. Will shook his head to dispel the lingering confusion. He would figure it out later when he and Molly made it to the cabin. With the key and instructions in hand, they stepped away from each other slowly not realizing Will had even gotten that close to Hannibal. “Thank you for letting us stay at your cabin. We’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good day, Hannibal.” The name curled around his mouth and he couldn’t help but wonder if he was bewitched but magic wasn’t real, only a thing of fiction. “I’ll let Molly know we’ll be having a guest over.”

“Thank you, Will. Enjoy your stay in Bright Falls.” Will headed back out into the lighted area and when he briefly looked over his shoulder, Hannibal was gone and the choking darkness with him. It almost made Will check to see if he went into the bathroom or out the backdoor but he stayed in the light where he knew deep down he was safe. Maybe Margot was right to warn him of the dark after all.

“You’re lucky this time, young man. Who knows what would have happened if you stayed down there much longer. Something dreadful most like. Be wary of it, Mr. Graham.” Margot was still at the end of the hallway clutching a lamp in her arms. He could tell tension had built up while he was out of her sight but the more she observed him, the more the tension bled from her body. It made him feel terrible even though he was happy to have gotten the keys to where he would be staying. Hannibal seemed a little out there though the dark may have been playing tricks on Will while they were meeting.

“I will. Thank you for the warning.” Will went on his way but stopped when he saw Jimmy was dozing and Brian watching him with a fond expression. Dimmond must have moved from his seat to stand next to the table now. A phone was pressed up to his ear with him being cordial with whoever was on the other end. “Is Jimmy alright?”

“Splendid! Should avoid lifting anything heavier that a spoon though. We’ve worn ourselves out a bit from getting a ride here. Next time we’ll be more careful, you’ll see.” Brian sent Will a wink before seeing Will take a step toward the jukebox. “You play ‘Coconut’ again, _I’ll_ lift the spoon to throw it at you.” Will put up his hands in surrender with a smile. He really hoped to see the two again sooner rather than later honestly. They were good people he wouldn’t mind getting to know better.

“No threatening, darling. Haven’t we talked about that?” Jimmy mumbled, seemingly wanting nothing but to sleep. He gave a wave to Will as he fell back into a doze. “Good seeing you, Alan.” Will didn’t have the heart to correct him and instead nodded with a smile. He couldn’t remember ever smiling so much without Molly around. Jimmy and Brian were two of a kind he supposed, making it all the better when Will thought about it.

“It’s Alana, you dolt.” Brian rolled his eyes before sighing exasperated with Jimmy. Will didn’t have the heart to correct him either. Sometimes he felt both and neither but that thought was for another time. “Have a good stay here and be sure to visit us yeah? You’re alright to both of us.” A send off as good as any while Will mentally agreed to see the two again. After what felt like eons, he finally started making friends. More than just Molly and her friends.

“Sorry if they bothered you at all, Mr. Graham. Jimmy and Brian are patients who escaped the Cauldron Lake Lodge. They never really cause any problems and usually come here to listen to that one song. Drives each other mad sometimes but they love each other a lot.” Abigail had a coffee in a to go cup and handed it to him with a beaming smile. She was really worried for Will, he could tell. The two hadn’t bothered him in the least even though he felt a little awkward beforehand.

“No bother at all. In fact, I feel like we’ve become friends. You said they stay at the Lodge?” She nodded to the question. “I’ll have to remember that. I’ll see you around, Abigail.” Anthony stopped him with a stare, giving him a look. One that read as threatening and barely there jealousy. Will wanted to laugh because he was already married and why would he go for a girl who was half his age? It didn’t make sense to him why he himself would want Abigail but if someone went after Molly, he’d feel the same.

“Dr. Chilton is coming to pick Jimmy and Brian up, Abigail. I’ll at least stay until then. Explain the situation so he doesn’t grill you.” Her smile broadened and thanked Anthony before going over to Brian to ask if she could get him or Jimmy anything until Chilton got there. Will met the park ranger’s eyes head on until he couldn’t anymore and looked away. “Mr. Graham, please enjoy the rest of your stay with us. Come visit the park with your wife if you can. It really does have a wonderful view.”

A horn blared outside, shattering Will’s thoughts. With the coffee and keys in hand, he rapidly made his way out of the diner and into the car Molly pulled up in. They shared a kiss as she chuckled. She was able to taste the coffee he had and he also smelled of it. He shook his head with a kinder smile than he’d shown that day. Molly made him vulnerable in the worst way but he didn’t mind as much as he probably should. It felt natural for him to be like that with Molly especially when she felt the same.

“I see you got the keys and a little something extra. Make any friends while I was gone?” When she saw him nod, she pulled a jokingly shocked face at him. “No. My husband? My Will Graham made friends?” She observed the car playfully. “Okay, where’d you hide the cameras? Is this a prank?” They both laughed at her and shared another kiss. Molly made it easier to accept people outside of his own little world he had in his head. She was the best thing he had in his life and he knew he’d be completely hopeless without her.

As they pulled away from the diner, Will happened to look in the side mirror and saw a man in the middle of the road holding out his hand to their car. As weird as it was, he saw Anthony grab him and take him back into the diner. That stopped him from telling Molly to turn around to ask if everything was okay. It wasn’t like him to think of those kinds of things and make Molly truly start worrying about him in a way he had to avoid. They needed this vacation and needed to take care of each other rather than Molly take care of him yet again.

“So this small town would be pretty cool as a setting in a book.” Molly laughed when Will groaned but he truly was irritated with writing for right now. This was supposed to be a getaway for them, not him writing another novel. It would probably turn out to be a pretty shitty book if he forced it. “I’m just saying, maybe being able to relax will help with your muse or mojo or whatever you want to call it. I’ll even leave you alone for an hour if it’ll help.”

“Molly.” Her name escaped his lips before he could stop it. “Why don’t I just bury my head in the sand instead?” Annoyance filled his voice when he spoke. The silence in the car grew and Will started feeling the guilt build up. It’s not like he meant to create this tension between them. Writing just seemed like a chore to him and he didn’t want to feel like that anymore. He wanted to write whatever came to mind when he felt like it instead of being on a schedule or have a due date. Staying in Bright Falls would give him a break he’d been looking forward to since the beginning of his last Jack Crawford book tour. “I’m sorry.”

“My sweet man.” Her hand found his. She brought it up to her lips and gave it a soft kiss. Doing so didn’t impede her driving at all and in fact had him breathing a sigh of relief. The tension dissipated and they were back to the easy companionship returned. Molly turned the radio up as it played on their drive. He remembered the name of the host vaguely. “Oh Reba plays some good tunes.” Reba McClane, Will would try not to forget the name again. She seemed like a big deal around the town no matter how small it was.

Not long after Reba mentioned the weather did they get to the cabin where they would be staying. Will didn’t want to leave the safety of the car but to get their vacation underway he needed to. Maybe he could convince Molly to spend their first night in it so he wouldn’t have to move. A migraine had settled in his head and refused to go away when he’d put sunglasses on. No sleep because of the nightmares might be the cause. Although he thought about staying in the car, a good night’s rest in an actual bed would help him more.

“Why don’t we wait until tomorrow to unpack? We have almost a month until we need to go back to New York. Tomorrow it’ll be the first thing on our list of things to do but I don’t see why we can’t start relaxing now.” Molly kept herself one step ahead of everything Will was thinking which was nice. For how long they’ve been married, Will has rarely had to tell Molly what he wanted or needed. The thing with the paparazzi was stupid but she pulled through and let him off the hook. She was too good for him even though she argued with him saying he was enough for her.

“Yeah, that sounds like plan. I’ll go see if I can find a generator to get the power going while you take a look inside.” Will walked around the small island and seeing exactly how big it was. From where the car is parked, it looked smaller but being on it made a difference. The cabin had two stories and from what he could tell was nicely furnished. Hannibal must have had it done before they got there to make sure it was in tip top shape for them. From what Will remembered of Hannibal, the man was well dressed, his suit pristine without a single wrinkle or speck of dirt and his hair immaculate. Daydreams were not truth no matter how much he wanted them to be. In another life, maybe he and Hannibal met a different way, getting together or something of the like.

The sun started setting, proving Molly right that this would be perfect for a book. How it was setting with a gentle fog rolling in made it look all the more gorgeous. He didn’t worry about it for now though, the generator leading to the house needed turned on. It had to be around the area somewhere since the powerlines didn’t attach to the cabin anywhere, probably because water pretty much surrounded the island. Whatever the case may be, he had to turn the power on before sunlight was completely gone. Molly hated the dark. Will could only imagine going through the kind of terror she does when faced with it. She never really spoke about what happened but it had traumatized her.

When he finally found the generator, he realized why the power went out in the first place. The generator was an old piece of work, Will would tinker with it later, and it most likely hasn’t been changed since the seventies. All he had to do was give it a solid kick to put it back in place before he yanked the pulley to start the generator. The beautiful hum coming from the hunk of junk made Will proud of himself. Molly blew him a kiss from the window in thanks. She disappeared back into the house to explore more now that they had power.

Will decided to look around a little longer when he came upon the back porch. A small portable radio sat on it and Will decided to turn it on. Maybe if something good came on, he could convince Molly to come out on the porch and dance with him. A sweet moment that would have been remembered for a lifetime if not for the fact of Reba taking a caller and it being Abigail from the Oh Deer Diner. He knew she was only being nice when he picked up the keys but when she revealed who the celebrity was in Bright Falls he got frustrated.

“Great. Something _else_ to worry about.” Will and Molly would have to keep an even lower profile now that the townsfolk knew he was around. All they wanted to do was enjoy some peace and quiet to themselves without having to worry about anything. Get away from the paparazzi and any fans Will may have stalking him. It happened constantly and even when he moved, they still found out where he lived. Asking him on the street for a photo or paragraph was one thing but following him home and leaving him gifts in his mailbox was quite another. That was how he and Molly ended up in the middle of nowhere Wolf Trap. “Better let Molly know before we get chased around in public.”

Will went back inside but couldn’t immediately find Molly. Nothing odd about it but somehow Will was still worried. It made him anxious he didn’t find Molly as soon as he got into the cabin but it’s not like she could have gone far and without him hearing her leave. It also wouldn’t be like her to not tell Will if she was going out somewhere.

“Molly?”

“Upstairs, sweetheart!” Her voice was a little muffled and Will found out it was because the door was closed. When he opened it he saw her in her night clothes. She looked radiant and Will wanted to tell her so. His eyes must have given him away because she gave him a smile. “I have a present for you and it’s certainly not me. It’s in the other room for you already set up. Come on!” She dragged him by his hand with a smile. One grew on his own face, Molly’s happiness contagious enough to spread to him.

It didn’t last long however once the typewriter came into view. Will stopped at the doorway, his hand sliding out of Molly’s. She realized what happened but still kept a soft smile on her face. He knew she still wanted to support him while knowing of the inevitable anger that would be coming. The typewriter sat on the desk, seemingly harmless but still having a negative impact on Will. Molly knew, she _knew_ the whole reason why they took a vacation in the first place was to get away from all this. All she wanted to do was bring back the heartache of him unable to write anything.

“What the hell is this, an intervention? There’s nothing wrong with not writing. I’m still making money off my Jack Crawford books. I thought we agreed we would relax while we’re here?” Will wanted to smash the typewriter to bits and throw it in the lake. How dare his Molly, his _wife_ , the _love of his life_ do this to him. What had gotten into her that she thought this would be a good idea to bring up, especially after talking about it? His body moved to the desk, his eyes observed it and caught a glimpse of the stack of blank white paper next to it. The stack was begging to be used and covered with his words. Whatever came to his mind he could just type up using the typewriter. His hand hovered over some of the keys and then a voice started mocking him about how he would never be able to write again.

“I thought maybe since we were in a place so quiet that it would help you. That money can’t last forever, Will. Not if we want to have a bigger family.” Will bit his lip so hard it began to bleed. For her and Wally’s sake he wanted to agree to try but he also wanted to stand his ground and be angry at her for lying to him. “I spoke with a doctor recently, Dr. Frederick Chilton, who helps struggling artists find their muse again and has a clinic not too far. If we meet with him, he could help you.” At the mention of doctor, Will nearly lost his temper. Molly knew how he felt about anyone being inside his head. She knew what happened the last time he spoke with a shrink.

“We’re supposed to tell each other what’s going on. We aren’t supposed to _lie_.” Will dropped his hand away from the typewriter. “How could you?” Tears fell unnoticed by the one shedding them, mostly too hurt that Molly would do such a thing behind his back. Buying a typewriter and bringing it with them on their trip while also speaking to a doctor who owned a clinic in the same town they were visiting. He wanted to ask so much but his throat closed up. “I need some air. Stay here and get some sleep. I need to think some things over.” Will left the room and walked down the stairs before grabbing a flashlight on the way out. “Goddamnit.”

The silence helped clear Will’s mind even if he was still crying. His salty tears fell into the depths of the lake where they would tell his tale to the darkness of it. Deep breaths filled the stillness with noise while footsteps on the bridge echoed across, almost sounding as if there was another person besides Will walking along it. A chill shot down his spine, making him turn back towards the cabin. As he walked back, calmness began taking up space in his head and eventually his limbs. He wondered what was making him feel so lax until he felt that maybe it was because he was tired from the nightmares and not sleeping well. Then he heard screams, Molly’s screams.

“Will? Will, I’m sorry! Please! Please turn the lights back on! You don’t ever have to write again! You don’t even have to see the doctor if you don’t want to! Just please, turn the lights on!” Terrified screams were coming from the cabin but Will could only watch in horror as the cabin was filled with shadows. “Will! Help me, please! Where are you?”

Will crawled his tired body to the cabin, having barely noticed he had fallen some time ago. He had to save Molly, keep the deep seated fear quiet for her. The lights needed to be turned back on so she wasn’t so scared anymore. Expensive looking shoes appeared in front of his face as he looked up only for his vision to fade before he caught a glimpse of who it was in front of him. Whoever they were, they reached a hand down to cup his face and it was the last thing he felt.

A fractured memory of a typewriter and a deep voice asking him to keep going so they could be together forever. It felt like a dream but how could it be? Didn’t it really happen? The voice who guided him was gentle with him and it had a begging note of desperation. Lips and warm hands feeling up his body in a pleasurable way. Then he heard Molly’s voice through it.

“Will, wake up.”

Will gasped, shooting forward in his seat. His head suddenly throbbed and he couldn’t help but be confused as to where he was. When he could focus enough he realized he was in the car he and Molly owned but crashed over a cliffside at night. Not steep enough to fall into the divot below where he ended up but still too steep so he couldn’t get back up on the road. How he crashed and ended up there was a mystery, hoping eventually he would remember. Right now though, he needed to find help after checking his phone in his pants pocket only to find it dead. Suddenly realizing he was shirtless, Will pulled on an old jacket that was in the backseat of the car.

A billboard illuminated above him, showing an advertisement for Buddish’s Garage some miles away. Instead of following the road however, Will had no other way but through the forest. Who knew, it’s a possibility he’d find someone along the way to help him. Before he left the car, a book caught his eye. The title being ‘For the Creator, By the Creator’. It was written by a doctor named Frederick Chilton, the same doctor who got into Molly’s head about Will needing Chilton’s help to find his muse. Seeing his face made Will immediately hate it and the person it belonged to. It was a distraction he didn’t need right now so he threw all of that somewhere in his memory palace to look over again later.

Across the forest he saw a gas station. It was his best bet and Will was sure it was the place the billboard advertised. Only getting a few feet down from the car and it fell between where he was and where he first crashed. “Shit.” He didn’t have time to worry about the car though. All he could do was move forward and pray to whoever was listening that he would find a phone at the gas station. The path continued downward and the bright light from his nightmare came to him through the trees suddenly. Will couldn’t catch up but there were pages from what looked to be a manuscript. It was impossible though. The title written on the page was for the next book he planned on writing if his muse ever came back. All it read was. “Departure by Will Graham.”

Another page near it read more than that. Words spoke of an axe murder coming for the protagonist in the middle of the night. It was dark, something Will was never truly afraid of until now. Until the moment his life felt like a true horror film and he was following right along because he had to.

_The man turned to face me. His face was covered in shadows. It was hard to_  
_make him out in the darkness of the forest that surrounded us, but the axe he_  
_lifted was plain to see. It glistened with the blood of his victim._

_He grinned madly. The shadows were alive, distorting his features._

_It was a scene from a nightmare, but I was awake._

Will worried for whoever found these pages. That and whoever he had made the protagonist though he had a funny feeling about who it was. Whoever else found these pages may take them the wrong way too. He had to find them all before anyone could. It would be his priority once he found a phone to call someone on. After looking over the pages and folding them in his pocket Will thought for a brief second he could see someone in the distance.

“Hello? Is someone there? I’ve been in an accident.” By the time Will got down to where the person had been, they were gone. “Must be seeing things because of hit I took.” A headache started forming without cause or reason. Why did it hurt so much? There was a sudden urge in him to go back to the lake where he was staying with Molly. Oh god. Molly was probably lost and confused if she made it out of the cabin that night. If she didn’t make it out then she should still be there. She would have went to the police station and asked about him if she got there first. “Hold on, Molly.”

Will turned the corner, finding a small light of hope in his heart at the sight of the lumberyard. He also happened to see a manuscript page on a fallen tree next to where he could get into the lumberyard. He quickly grabbed it before it flew away. Who knows who it could have ended up with it if it had gotten away.

_Matthew took another sip of the heavenly coffee. He grinned at Abigail. Surely,  
she could help him find Will._

_Abigail gushed on, breathlessly: "The new one will be a masterpiece, I know it!_  
_You must tell him not to listen to the trolls in the forums saying "Departure"_  
_will never get finished. He should take his time and make it perfect. I can_  
_wait."_

__

Will was glad Matthew knew better than to hit on a girl half his age, especially since she wasn’t even eighteen yet. He wrote it, he knew, but he also knew Matthew wouldn’t do it outside of the story either. Matthew was too focused on Will and taking care of him if Matthew couldn’t be with him. Molly would always be the love of his life and Matthew knew that. He would take care of Will when Molly wasn’t there and if Will didn’t allow Molly inside his head. Matthew was always there.

Putting those thoughts aside, he carefully balanced himself on the light pole that had fallen down not long ago, at least it didn’t look like it had been there for a while. Knowing better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, Will pressed forward to hopefully find a phone and get some help. As he walked closer, he could hear someone mumbling. “Elliot Buddish, pleased to meet you. Your deposit is nonrefundable because of your late arrival.”

“I’m sorry about that but I thought I grabbed the keys? There was a man who gave me them.” Will shook his head, refusing to fight about something so silly at a time like this. “Please, I need your help. I was in a crash and hurt. I don’t know where my wife is.” When Elliot faced him though, Will had a brief flashback of the hitchhiker from his nightmare before all of this started. Darkness cloaked him, thickened around him as protection from anything remotely harmful. A glimpse of intelligence and true joy at seeing him but it was gone and Elliot ran.

Will booked it too, but only after picking up another manuscript page. An axe follows the slam of the door, a little reminiscent of The Shining. He locks it, hoping it would give him a moment of peace. Once he felt relatively safe inside the building did he quickly read it, not sure how long his safety would last. This one helped him remember how to get rid of the darkness from around the beings of darkness.

_The Taken stood before me. It was impossible to focus on it, as if it stood in_  
_a blind spot caused by a brain tumor or an eye disease. It was bleeding_  
_shadows like ink underwater, like a cloud of blood from a shark bite._

_I was terrified. I squeezed the flashlight like my life depended on it,_  
_willing it to stop coming any closer. Suddenly, something gave, and the light_  
_seemed to shine brighter._

“Hannibal is pleased you’re safe. He wants you back though! What he wants, he gets!” Elliot yelled from outside. Will’s anxiety went through the roof from him sounding too close. The name made Will pause. Wasn’t Hannibal the one who gave him the keys to the cabin? His head pounded in response, a punishment for trying to keep things straight no matter how messed up he was. It was something he’d worry about later when he got to a phone and called for help. A gun and flashlight sat next to each other which gave Will exactly what he needed to fend these assholes off. Speaking of a phone, close by where he stood sat one on the table. He couldn’t dial quick enough.

“Bright Falls Sheriff’s Station, what’s your emergency?” Will counted his blessings when he heard the voice come through.

“Hello? Please, I need help!” The lights powered off and Will cursed his misfortune at seeing Buddish take out most of the telephone poles that would have saved him the trouble of fighting through whatever the hell Elliot ended up as and going to the gas station. That was looking more and more promising by the minute. Everything fell silent until the noises from a bulldozer could be heard. “This is bad.” It went straight for the building Will was in, lifting it up. Probably to keep Will in one spot but that didn’t stop Will at all. The back door existed for a reason and he more than utilized it while he still could.

Without hesitation he ran through the gate in front of him only to find more men of darkness. The flashlight was Will’s ultimate weapon along with his gun. Before he knew it, they were all gone. Shooting off a gun was something he didn’t do often, never outside a shooting range. It was more common when he was still a cop but since he got hurt on the job, he turned into a writer. The Jack Crawford books spoke about his experiences but with someone else going through them rather than himself. Up until someone recommended him publish the first book, he really just did it to get it out of his system. Now wasn’t the time to think about the past while his head pounded along with his heartbeat. He looked around to make sure they were all gone because dead meant something completely different.

There was paint only illuminated by light in spatters around the area. He followed the slightly veered off path and found the men were called Taken as well as a flare gun with some ammo for it in a case below a torch symbol. Whoever did that pretty much saved his life with only a few things.

From what he could see, the path went back into the forest. Will didn’t want to go back in there but he had no choice. It was the only way to get to the gas station. Turning off the electricity that ran through the pole still was as easy as kicking the power box. A triumphant smile made its way on his face while he passed several pieces of machinery that he hoped would come to life like the bulldozer did before. Thankfully they didn’t and he kept moving forward. A small shack filled with some tools stood on the side of the path he was taking and Will decided to investigate. There pinned on the wall was another manuscript page he eagerly read while it was calm.

_Abigail knew she'd been gushing, but right now, she didn't care. As far as she_  
_was concerned, her brief meeting with Will Graham was literally the high point_  
_of her life._

_She watched as he got in the car with his wife. She was pretty, confident, at  
ease with Graham, not like Abigail. They were perfect for each other._

_She'd have given anything to be called their friend._

Seeing Abigail’s name angered Will. She had outed him to the town. How did he know none of this was her doing? The thought made him sick and he was barely able to stop himself from shredding the piece of paper right then and there. The more he thought about Molly the more he began to ache for her. He truly hoped she was safe from all this madness with the men of the dark coming out from everywhere. She most likely made it safely into town when she realized Wil had the car. Enough of that, he had to get back on track.

Another couple pieces of machinery and a live wire were forgotten almost as soon as they were passed. Will couldn’t dwell on the fine details of everything that was going on. His mind only had so much room before he had to organize and compartmentalize it all. Pain drilled into his head suddenly. Flashes of a smirk that wasn’t Molly’s along with touches of warmth from hands a little bigger than his own. What did they mean? What happened since the night he and Molly fought?

An odd noise filled the silence until Will realized a river was up ahead. The water was dark and nothing Will really wanted to look at while he crossed some logs. He knew the high pitched moan wasn’t the river though. Something else had made the sound. When he got to the other side, another page awaited him. It mentioned Matthew Brown, his agent.

_Matthew Brown was bouncing off the walls. He'd jumped on a plane after his_  
_calls were ignored by both Will and Molly for several days. It could mean that_  
_they were both on a second honeymoon, but Matthew didn't buy it. Will had been way_  
_too unstable for that -- not sleeping, messed up._

_Matthew had years of experience dealing with Will Graham, and he couldn't ignore  
it: something was wrong._

Matty was in town? It’d been several days since the day of the fight? How long had he been out for? How long was he in the car? Molly must be worried sick but then again, if Matty couldn’t get ahold of Molly, where could she be? Will tucked the page away where the others were and prayed he would find Molly when he got some help. He made his way further across the river and found yet another page. It was about the Dark Presence.

_For a long time, the Dark Presence had been weak, sleeping, nothing but a_  
_half-forgotten nightmare or a shadowy flicker in the corner of an eye in the_  
_forest at night; not real enough to properly exist, and yet too evocative to_  
_fade away completely._

_Now it was waking up, the writer like a fly caught in a spider's web, each_  
_jerk and kick vibrating the strands that led deep into its lair. It was aware_  
_of him now, and it could use him._

_All he'd need was a little incentive. He would belong to it._

Was that what happened to Molly? To be awakened once more and be freed from its prison in the lake? Had he helped it escape? How was such a thing possible? More pages would have to be found or he needed to start remembering what happened after he lost consciousness on the bridge to the lake. Just a flash of the smirking face again came to him but whose was it? The face had no stubble so it wasn’t him looking in a mirror either. Will had more things to worry about than just his memory though. Molly had to be somewhere in town and he had to see her. Make sure she was okay.

Will had more questions than answers at this point. He had to keep moving forward if he wanted to find the answers he was missing. Passing a rocky path would have been peaceful but more Taken showed up out of nowhere. It wasn’t as hard as the first time around but he still worried if he was legitimately killing these people. His stomach churned at the thought. Swallowing thickly, he pushed it down to deal with later when he was safe.

Another lumberyard was up ahead and Will really hope it was the last one for a while. The country life was fine for people who were used to it but he came from the city after he moved out from his daddy’s house. They never had problems with one another and spoke together quite often over the phone. Molly always thought he was homesick. Will just didn’t want to lose contact with his only family.

Will refused to linger and went straight for the stairs which turned out to be broken. A platform hung above some logs and looked like it could be used to get across, leading to where he needed to be. It would work if the generator connected to it was easy to find. He walked around the place a bit, locating the generator that had been tucked away out of sight. The thing was an older model but nothing a good solid kick wouldn’t fix. On his way back to climb the ladder, he saw a shack and some ammo and batteries which would help a lot. A manuscript page was also hidden among the items.

_I heard them before I saw them, swooping down from the sky and screeching as  
they came._

_I spun around just as the cloud was upon me. For an instant, I stared into a  
hundred dead eyes, black pearls glistening in the darkness._

_I raised the flashlight and the swarm exploded like fireworks. Feathers  
burned, turned into ash, I couldn't hear my scream above theirs._

Birds? Why the hell would he put some scary birds into this story if he really did write it? They were mostly harmless when left alone. His mind was a terrible thing when left unchecked. Maybe that was why he couldn’t remember the last few days. Disassociating had been known to happen with him; mostly after nightmares. That meant he couldn’t trust anything he remembered, not of it. The possibility of the whole thing being a dream had him again questioning what happened to Molly.

Will let his mind calm in the night air as he went back to the newly made path. Once he was back on the path he found another small radio up ahead. Someone had lost a dog after it took off, no doubt going after one of the Taken. He wanted to find the dog to make sure he was fine. His name was Buster and the owner pleaded with listeners to give him a call if the dog was found. He made a mental note of at least keeping an eye and ear out for him. The woods were calling him back, which left a pleasurable tingle running down his spine. How could he deny such a thing?

 _”Dear Will. You’re so lost. Let Elliot bring you back to me. Let him bring you home.”_ The voice sounded familiar. Flashes of it encouraging him to write sounded like music to Will. A bark broke the spell. He noticed just how many Taken were around him, reaching out to grab him so he wouldn’t get away again. More barking sounded closer and Will didn’t hesitate any longer to start taking the darkness infested bodies out. A deep chuckle echoed before fading into silence.

A Jack Russell ran out of the bush and into his legs. The dog had to be Buster but Will had no time to acquaint himself at that point because Buddish was taunting him from all around. His distorted voice echoing through the forest. Under the light of the lamp post though, Will felt safe. It rejuvenated him surprisingly but from what he learned from his nightmare he already knew that. While under the light Will looked the dog over to make sure he was fine. Only a small scratch on the ear could be found which was better than the man expected.

Something was tucked into Buster’s collar that looked like another manuscript page. Will felt like it was a trap as the dog couldn’t have done it himself. There was no point in asking because he knew he wouldn’t be getting an answer anytime soon. He worried whoever had taken him had something to do with it but why would that person help him to find out what happened rather than keep him guessing? Could it be the person from his dream helping him? Whatever the case was, he took the page and read it in the light.

_At first I kept finding the pages as if by accident. The book I couldn't_  
_remember was either a terrible and true prophesy, or an act of creation that_  
_had rewritten the world. I began to hunt the pages, feverishly, for they held_  
_the answer to the mystery._

_With it I could save myself._

_With it I could save Molly._

Buddish’s taunting brought Will out of his thoughts about the page. No matter what happened he would still collect the pages regardless. Will just hoped no one else got their hands on any of the pages before he found them. The pages could be dangerous in anyone else’s hands other than his own. Worry would have to wait as he continued on and ignored the taunts he still heard. Buster stayed by his side without fearing the gun Will held, trusting the man unwaveringly. The forest was difficult to navigate through but Buster helped Will as he put his nose to the ground and led the way. Will was still wary and kept the gun and flashlight up, looking around for any signs of the Taken or Elliot.

Buster barked and practically ran forward with Will hot on his heels. More machinery was up ahead and he remembered what happened at the first lumberyard he visited; where he had run into Buddish the first time. Staying cautious, Will whistled for Buster who barked again waiting for his new friend. A manuscript page blew in the breeze where it was pinned against the ground by a rock. Buster’s tail thumped, his tongue lolling while sitting next to the paper unworried. They couldn’t get used to the calm though but Will took the time to remove the rocks and pick up the page. What did he have in store for himself this time?

_I stepped into the gas station's garage. It was dark and quiet. The place was_  
_a mess. It looked like someone trashed the place, or that there'd been some_  
_kind of fight. Light spilled into the room through an open door at the back,_  
_and I made my way toward it._

_Without any warning, I was blinded by a bright light. An old portable TV on_  
_the shelf had come alive by itself. Impossibly, I could see myself on the_  
_screen, talking like a madman._

How would that even be possible? Looking at himself through a television set? He must have been taking something while he was writing this story. Whether it be some sort of drug or too many drinks. Something didn’t make sense in this scenario and it frustrated Will. All he could do was wait it out, whatever ‘it’ was. The page was put with the others before Buster started leading Will again, this time to another cache with a flare gun and ammo for it. “Good boy, Buster. Good boy.” The dog was starting to become his best friend and the only one that makes sense in Bright Falls.

Taken appeared as soon as he got back to his feet. Will dispatched two of them quickly but had to reload as a couple more gunned straight for him. Buster tried holding them off but couldn’t do much and just growled. He was able to back away far enough to load the flare gun and shoot it off. The leftover Taken disintegrated in a matter of seconds leaving Will gasping for breath and Buster jumping on him to make sure he was fine. A gate was revealed through the mist but it ran on electricity. Thankfully the switch was just inside the building right next to the gate.

Will could tell the operator got bored from the old television set that sat on the counter. He got curious and turned it on but turned it off once he saw The Twilight Zone playing. He would watch it if he wasn’t in a hurry to find help because the building couldn’t have a working phone even though it had a working television set. The questionable choices would have to wait until later. Will quickly flipped the switch and headed back out into the night. Buster was close behind and gluing himself to Will’s side as the air felt like it was getting heavier.

If he had to go through another lumberyard, he felt like he would scream. They were a literal death trap with the work vehicles and logs everywhere. Everything settled other than the tension. Will knew more Taken were going to be coming from everywhere, he just didn’t know when. His flashlight reflected off something that caught his eye. Why wasn’t he surprised it ended up being another manuscript page? He removed it from the dilapidated shack and took a moment to read it while it was still quiet.

_"The cabin on Cauldron Lake?" she asked._

_The Sheriff looked at me suspiciously. The early morning light flooded through_  
_the office windows. I would probably never have gotten out of the woods alive_  
_without her help, but I couldn't tell her the truth of what I'd faced the_  
_previous night. She'd think I was lying, or crazy. She'd lock me up._

_And she wouldn't help me find Molly._

If that was true then Will really couldn’t tell the Sheriff anything. Everything he wanted to tell now had to remain in his mind. It would be nice to be validated in what happened but if the Taken and Dark Presence never made themselves known then he would be labelled as crazy; made to stay wherever they kept people who were labelled insane instead of going back home or being allowed to look for Molly. That couldn’t happen. Will had to find Molly and find out what happened to her. He knew it wouldn’t be easy to do but he held on to all the hope he had.

“Time to take the down payment from you through blood and then Hannibal can have you.” Buddish’s distorted voice echoed around him. Another gate led to some lights up ahead from what he could see through a layer of trees. This was it. Will would get out of this alive even if he had to accomplish this whole thing as a ghost. He was not afraid to die if it meant saving Molly. “In the morning all will be well.” Buddish moved around Will at impossible speeds that must have been granted to him from the Dark Presence. Will’s light could barely touch him and the situation was made worse by other Taken appearing from every direction.

“Why are you all doing this?” When Will took out one Taken another two took its place and he knew impossible odds were stacked against him. “I just want to find my Molly!” Any of the Taken that Will shined the light off the darkness that surrounded them were the ones Buster attacked and immediately went for the throat as fast as he could. After that, it seemed like the Taken were weaning little by little and Will could finally keep all his attention on Buddish. The Taken Buddish got a few good hits in from Will’s legs to his face. All more shallow cuts than life threatening. Most likely because Hannibal would end Buddish’s existence if something fatal were to happen to Will. That gave him the advantage.

Will baited Buddish and when he missed, Will would shine his light as brightly as possible before he move away quickly. They circled one another with Will whittling away the other’s darkness little but little. More cuts gathered on Will’s body but were significantly less than how much Will was able to nail Buddish with the light. Buster had taken care of all the others so only Buddish was left. Will kept the dog near him so he wouldn’t get hurt by Buddish. He would hate himself if the dog got hurt.

Buddish’s grin seemed to fill his entire face before he roared. He threw his ax with full force at Will and followed with a charge. Will dove out of the way but Buddish was able to get his ax back in the meantime. Buster nudged Will hurriedly to get him up as a dog his size couldn’t do much. He rolled to the side with Buster, avoiding a swing by Buddish. While he was trying to get his ax out of the ground, Will got up and ran to the other side of the clearing. 

The shadows dissipated from around Buddish after Will shined his light on him again, finishing him off with a few more shots. He vanished in sparks of light and the tension in the air shifted to something lighter. Will felt this would be the last Taken for now. He headed through the gate towards the gas station. The place looked abandoned which wasn’t too surprising considering Buddish was taken over by the Dark Presence.

There was a Deer Fest float with a countdown on it. A week passed since he and Molly had come to the town. Will was still clueless as to where he had been and who he was with during that time. He would worry about that later, right now he needed to call for help. Before he went through the garage, one more manuscript page sat innocently in the lights of the gas pumps. Will walked over, Buster not far behind, and picked it up.

_Buddish spat on the garage floor and tried to shake the cobwebs from his head.  
Ever since the couple never showed to pick up the keys, things had been fuzzy._

_Something -- a feeling -- caught his attention. Buddish looked up and stared as_  
_his brain tried in vain to process the horror before him. He stumbled back,_  
_knocking over a can of oil; a black pool spread across the floor while he_  
_struggled for a brief moment, then let go as the unrelenting darkness engulfed_  
_him._

So Buddish was really waiting for him and Molly but Hannibal had gotten to him first. He knew he should have forced himself into the bathroom but at the time, Hannibal seemed legit. Things are never what they appear and Will wished he would have remembered that sooner; before all of this happened. Now Molly was missing and Will needed to find her. His entire being was screaming for her as a deep ache settled in his chest. If Hannibal was responsible, Will would find out and then he would take it out of Hannibal’s hide.

The manuscript page went with the others as Will walked around the building to see if there was anyone here. All he found was a locked door and yet another manuscript page pinned next to it. Lights above the door made the page luminescent in the dark, helping Will see it more clearly. He worried what this one was about but when he saw Buster’s name, he knelt down and petted him.

_Buster knew the smell: it was the man, the nice man who always gave him treats_  
_and never got tired of playing with him. Buster wagged his tail in excited_  
_anticipation and gave a joyous bark._

_Then there was another smell -- a wrong smell -- and it was alien enough to_  
_stop Buster in his tracks. Confused, he growled deep in his throat. The wrong_  
_smell came from the nice man._

_Blind animal terror pierced the dog's brain making him able to dodge the axe’s  
swing and run away._

Will thanked anyone who was listening that the dog was okay and had enough instincts in him to get away from the Taken man. The page was tucked quickly away with the other’s as Will didn’t want to think of the ‘what ifs’ in this particular scenario. He was glad he had enough sense in him to have not killed the dog off when he was writing this story during his missing week. It was a huge relief and one he wouldn’t forget.

Walking back around the front, Will finally walked into the garage and figured there may have been a fight since the place looked to be trashed. When he called for help, he would mention it and as he went to go into the store part of the garage a bright, white light blinded him. The brightness faded into something more manageable for his eyes and when the black spots cleared from them he saw himself in the room with the typewriter Molly had gotten him. He was talking to himself about the story and Molly, about darkness and bringing her back.

 _“I’ll write. I’ll keep writing.”_ Will watched himself look around the room in the cabin. _“Outside there’s only darkness, outside the cabin, outside the story, there’s only darkness. I can feel her presence in the dark.”_ He went to sit down in front of the desk that held the typewriter. Some pages already written sat next to it. _“Just now, I could smell her perfume in the room. I’ll reach her. I’ll fix it. I… I’ll bring her back. The story will come true. If I stop, she’s lost.”_ The last thing he saw on the television set was him typing more.

“I don’t believe this but how am I to believe anything else when there was evidence?” Will spoke, looking to Buster but all he did was wag his tail. “You think I’m losing my mind?” The dog jumped up on Will’s leg, maybe supporting him or maybe just wanting attention. Will gave him a few good ear scratches before he walked past the creepy television set and into the store. Behind the counter he spotted a phone and went for it fast. Sighing in relief, he put away his gun and scooped Buster up in his arms before calling the sheriff’s station again.

“Bright Falls Sheriff’s Station, how can I help you?” The man on the other line seemed calm and ready to help if Will needed it, which he really did.

“I’ve been in an accident. I hit my head and walked through the forest to call for help. I’ve been out all night and need help. My wife, she’s missing and I don’t know who could have taken her.” Will pet Buster anxiously, trying to settle down. The police didn’t need some guy talking crazy or looking like it either. Most of the reason why he left out the Taken and Dark Presence. Who in the hell would believe him?

“Just take a deep breath, sir. Where are you now? Are you safe?” Will would definitely be recommending this guy for a promotion.

“I’m at Buddish’s garage. No one’s around so I feel safe. I’m behind the counter in case something were to happen.” He knew the officer was just trying to make sure he was okay but all he wanted was someone who could help him now.

“Alright. The Sheriff is on her way. Hang tight okay? Elliot isn’t there with you?” Will wished the guy wouldn’t ask so many questions but he was only trying to keep WIll calm.

“Elliot isn’t here, no. The garage looks trashed. That’s how I got in. It was still open.”

They went back and forth like that until the Sheriff got there and Will thanked the officer for helping him. He hung up the phone and went to the door to meet the Sheriff halfway. He still held Buster in his arms so he wouldn’t run away. As she got out of the car, he came out of the store looking a little worse for wear. The look on her face was a mix of concern and stoic. She couldn’t show anything for him until she got the full story he knew. “I’m Sheriff Beverly Katz. You are?”

“Will Graham, I’m a writer that came here on vacation with my wife, Molly. She’s missing and I know I was kidnapped about a week ago. Same time she went missing. I was recently in a car crash and walked here from where I crashed. Please, you have to believe me.” He had to get her to trust him because if she left here with suspicion of him, he knew she would throw him in jail for doing something to Molly or put him in the clinic owned by Chilton.

“Calm down, Mr. Graham, okay? I’m here to help you.” It looked like she reached back for something but Will was becoming a little disoriented.

“We were staying in the cabin on Cauldron Lake. Bird’s Leg Cabin. Something happened there. I can’t…” Will felt like he was going to pass out but he had to get his point across. “My head hurts.” Buster licked his face with a whine.

“Cauldron Lake? There hasn’t been a cabin there since an eruption in the seventies. Are you sure that’s where you were?” Now that got Will’s attention. He was more than a hundred percent positive that was where he had been with Molly. He remembered the bridge and crossing it when Molly had been in trouble.

“I can take you there, I swear I can.” Will wobbled but was able to stay upright. Katz helped him into the car as he clung to Buster like a lifeline. The dog didn’t mind and calmed in Will’s lap when Katz got in the driver’s seat and drove.

“You took a pretty bad hit to the head. You sure you’re okay?” Will nodded and laid his head against the car window. “We’ll swing by the lake and then head to the station okay? I can call a doctor to check you out when we get there.” He nodded again and observed the scenery in the rising light. “You know what happened to the guy who owns the place where I picked you up? Elliot Buddish?”

Will couldn’t tell her the truth of what happened. If he did, he really would end up in the clinic and wouldn’t ever be able to get away from Chilton. Will knew the type. Chilton would try keeping him for his mind. “No, I don’t.”

Katz sighed and continued driving. She felt like Will wouldn’t be talking much anymore. Not until they got to the lake to find out who was right. Fearing what would happen when they got there, she would watch Will’s face carefully. The man could feel this was what she was thinking and wanted to be right but wasn’t sure by the way she held herself and how her face held no lie.

Will must have dozed off as Buster licked his face and Katz opened his door, looking at him expectantly. He got out still holding Buster and yawned. The railing was still there and Will leaned against it to look over the lake. What he saw had him sobering up from his nap. There was nothing on the lake. The bridge was gone along with the cabin. The way to get down to the edge of the lake blocked off.

His look of shock made Katz sigh and look away from him. Numbly, he got back in the car and without a word, Katz drove them to the station. Will couldn’t wrap his head around what he saw. If the cabin was really gone, then what the hell happened to it within the week he had been gone? Where was Molly? Lastly, just who the hell was Hannibal Lecter?

**Author's Note:**

> Always a pleasure writing!
> 
> *[main twitter](https://twitter.com/FrostyLeeGraham)* *[writing twitter](https://twitter.com/ValorFallon)* *[tumblr](https://frostyleegraham.tumblr.com/)*


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